


Later

by Lanesy



Series: Red Wood Divergence AU [1]
Category: Epithet Erased (Cartoon)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:40:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,419
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21965818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lanesy/pseuds/Lanesy
Summary: Mera tries to pick up the scattered pieces of her life. It's slow at first but an unexpected opportunity arises when someone wants to steal her Epithet.
Series: Red Wood Divergence AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1581829
Comments: 6
Kudos: 59





	Later

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas everyone!
> 
> My present to all of you is posting this in a timely manner rather than eleven months later.
> 
> (Nervously looks at Spiderverse Drabbles collecting dust since since January and laughs)
> 
> Special thanks to my editor. Love ya!
> 
> Spoilers for the Museum Arc I guess.

It was a long ten years for Mera, being targeted largely by Mundie gangs and some miscellaneous mothers in prison and spending most of her days alone in some mock up hospital room with half of her bones broken at any given time. Well, at least the nurses were hot and she had access to some pain killers stronger than aspirin. Mera spent many nights wondering if maybe that little brat was right, that no power was worth this pain and that she should have given up her epithet at the museum that night, after all the only good things that came with her powers have long since slipped through her broken fingers.

But today things are looking slightly less depressing for Mera for she will be freed from her orange romper and slightly less scared that some random woman is going to beat her up for having an epithet or endangering a child. Speaking of children, maybe she should see if Marshmallow's offer is still any good and if she can get patched up enough to brush her short hair again without bleeding.

She goes to collect the few personal items she had before her imprisonment, a blue cloth wallet with an expired credit card she pilfered, clothing that is horribly outdated and hangs a little too loose on her, and three over the counter pain pills. As soon as Mera is escorted out of the building, she spots Indus waving to her in the parking lot. Not only is Mera surprised to see him waiting for her but she is shocked that he looks almost the same as ten years ago aside from wearing a button up shirt that threatens to tear apart at any moment, but hey at least he's decent and she has a ride even if it's almost as beaten up as her.

“Lady Mera!” Indus waves shouts with the same enthusiasm that Mera remembers from ten years ago. “I've come to pick up and take you back to the apartment!”

“So you're Mera, huh?” One of the guards asks the purple haired woman. “Your boyfriend over her has been coming here every day for the last year and a half. I'm gonna miss that idiot.” He points to Indus with his thumb.

Mera doesn't reply, instead she opts to slouch over and walk towards the battered minivan. Indus opens the door for her and delicately holds her hand as she climbs in. Mera swears she hears the guards gossip as Indus closes the taped up door behind her.

Most of the drive is quiet aside from the radio playing what Mera assumes to be the Bill Board 100 because of how horrible and unfamiliar all the music is. As Indus drives into an apartment, he breaks the silence. Indus drones on about how he safety proofed the whole apartment, how it's on the bottom floor so she doesn't have to tire her feet or repeat the accident from twelve years ago and that ducks are somehow outlawed in this area because of some cranky old man's “Illegal” Epithet, how Indus likes her short new haircut and white streak in her bangs, and how it makes her look like a warrior. Mera doesn't pay much attention though; she's too busy trying to figure out how to find that girl from the museum. Did she ever even catch her name?

Mera's most faithful servant gently lifts her out of her seat and holds her hand as she walks the stairs even though there is a perfectly fine rail. Indus is gentler with Mera than she remembers and her stomach drops. She must look downright horrible if Indus has picked up that she has grown more frail during her prison stay even with the erasercuffs constantly clinging to her wrists and somewhat negating her Epithet. He keeps holding her hand until they reach their apartment and he begins searching his pocket for keys and flips through the key ring. Mera notices that there are several keys linked together, the car keys, what she hopes is the apartment key, and some suspicious pastel colored keys. Mera spots some long stray hairs on his shirt and several perfumes mixing together, she wonders if he's picked up some lovers in her absence. Indus opens the door and ushers Mera inside. It's a lot bigger than their old apartment and very well padded. All the floors have soft carpeting or are covered plush mats, all lose wires and taped to the floor, and every furniture edge and corner are covered in pool noodles. She glances at the kitchen to find all the dishes and utensils are plastic Mera is surprised by Indus' foresight.

“H-how did you think of all this Indus?” Mera is so exasperated she trips over her words.

“I have listened to many audio child safety books and video tutorials!” Indus exclaims and Mera frowns understanding that she has be relegated back to a careless child, she wasn't expecting that to happen at least until her late fifties, not late thirties. “Oh look at the time!” Indus shouts at his wrist watch he was hiding under his sleeve shirt. “I'm going to be late for my shift tonight!” Indus runs out the door only to appear again a few seconds later. “I have some fresh chicken salad in the fridge and the wi-fi password is BARRIER1019!” His neck muscles pulsate and Mera braces herself for a flying button that never popped. “Goodbye Lady Mera, I will back around 2.” He disappears again only to immediately pop his head again through the door and clarify “In the morning”.

Mera sighs and decides to explore the apartment further. In addition to the kitchen and the living room there seems to be a closet by the front door and a small bathroom between two small bedrooms, complete with actual twin size beds and basic furniture, in the hallway. She briefly wonders if Indus can even fit into the washroom but her mind quickly strays to guessing what kind of job Indus has to afford this place and then where that girl from ten years might possibly be before a sudden pain interrupts her musings.

Leaning against the wall for support, Mera slowly walks back to the kitchen in search for painkillers only to find cabinets full of the stuff. Different brands and types for different aches, Indus really did think of everything, she really should thank him when he gets back. Mera opts for aspirin and dry swallows the pills. She already misses the medicine from prison. She already misses Indus. She cries until she passes out on the kitchen floor, only to wake up the next afternoon in her room with a note on her bed stand along with a cup of water and some medicine.

'Sorry I could not stay Lady Mera, I was called into work today. There's some money on the table if you want to order delivery today. I should be back in the evening.' The note says, or at least that what Mera assumes the note says. Indus' handwriting has not improved over the years. Mera downs her water and medicine and tosses the note in the corner of the room. Mera tells herself she isn't lonely as she hunts for something clean to wear. Her wardrobe was sparse and unrecognizable; she figures that Indus bought her some new clothes and smiles when she realizes Indus still remembers her taste and judging by the scent, all the clothes were recently washed. After several minutes of internal debate, Mera picks sports bra, a long sleeve pastel pink shirt, a long white skirt with a black lace waist and hem.

“I really should thank Indus for all of this.” Mera comments to herself as she dresses and briefly entertains the thought of making him dinner tonight then she thinks she probably shouldn't be standing for long periods of time and if her legs gave out while the stove top was on... She pushes that thought away as she makes her way to the kitchen and serves herself some store brand knock off cereal as a late lunch. The flakes are stale and the milk is fat free but it's the best lunch she's had in years, she almost falls on the kitchen floor again as she cries.

After taking a few minutes to collect herself, wash the cereal bowl and spoon and grab as many painkillers as she could to snack on, Mera makes her way to the living room laptop. She spends the rest of the evening searching the internet for any information on the wielder of the 'Dumb' Epithet only to find forums full of people having whining contest about how stupid their Epithets are. Several times Mera drafts messages on the forums about how much of a crybaby everyone is and how much worse her Epithet is only to delete them.

Mera is so absorbed in her research that she doesn't realize how much time has passed until Indus comes through the door, his face looks concerned when he spots his roommate. The little clock at the corner of the laptop claims it is 2 o'clock in the morning. Her stomach starts to roar when Mera realizes she's only had cereal and four bottles of aspirin today.

“Lady Mera.” Indus' face is the most solemn Mera has seen in years. “You should be in bed.” Mera's mouth unhinges and her finger rises, she is about to make accusations of Indus underestimating her but she quickly remembers what happened yesterday. She deflates and Indus walks closer. “It is important for your health to get on a regular sleeping schedule with six to eight hours each night.” Indus gently closes the laptop and picks up Mera. He carries her like a bride. Mera wants to point it out but she thinks the implication might be lost on him and worries he might opt to carry her less comfortably. Delicately, Indus places Mera on her bed and covers her in bed sheets before sitting down next to her. Indus sticks out his tongue as he searches his pockets. He produces a small box and places it next to Mera.

“I bought you a cellphone today, in case you need to contact me.” Indus explains as Mera cannot help but mentally add 'for emergencies' at the end. “Also, I've invited my boss over for dinner tomorrow night.” Indus continues but is soon interrupted.

“No.” Protests Mera, but it comes across as muffled since her mouth is under a sheet. “I don't want anyone to come over and see me like this. I mean, I haven't been able to brush my hair in months Indus, I look awful and I-”

“But Lady Mera-” Indus is barely able to utter as Mera interrupts him again.

“No means no Indus! I thought you learned that years ago.” Glassy blue eyes narrow in anger as Mera's voice continues to be muffled.

“Very well. Goodnight.” Indus resigns as he gets off of the bed. Mera grabs his sleeve right before he walks away.

“Thanks for everything Indus.” Sheepishly Mera says before letting go of his shirt.

“You're welcome.” Indus turns around and gives her a warm smile.

The next day, Mera successfully wakes up before noon even if it only by a few minutes. The morning sun greats her as well as a sore neck and more painkillers on the bed stand. She quickly swallows the pills and decides to change out of her wrinkled clothes. She looks at her mirror and feels disgusting. Her hair is greasy, her eye bags more visible and her braid is even more tangled than she thought. Slowly Mera place her hand against the one of the dresser's side mirrors and the glass begins to crack. Temptation to destroy the other two mirrors follows, but Mera decides against it. The purple haired woman tells herself she is too tired and should save up her stamina.

Mera nearly has a heart attack when she finds Indus in the kitchen unpacking groceries. Even though she's been there for less than a week, Mera is used to being alone in the apartment. It's going to take her some time getting used to waking up with other people around.

“Good-” Indus pauses to look at the oven clock. “Noon, Lady Mera. I hope I did not wake you up.”

“You're fine Indus.” Mera eyes Indus and notices him wearing causal clothes. She figures he must not be working today, that would also explain why he originally wanted to invite his boss over tonight. Where does he work again?

“What would you prefer for lunch today?” Indus asks as opens what appears to be a drawer full of grocery bags. Yellow, white and blue plastics spew onto the floor and Indus tries shoving them back in the drawer and squeeze today's haul in there as well. Mera wanders if the button on Indus's dress shirt or the drawer is going to pop first.

After a stir-fry lunch, Mera spent most of her day looking for cheap health insurance plan with a lot of discounts on prescription medication occasionally getting up to get some medicine and water, or use the restroom and every time she left the chair, Indus offered assistance which Mera decline. Sometimes it feels like pride is the only thing Mera can cling to, so she'll hold unto it until her bones break and perhaps even past that.

Sometime halfway in the evening, Mera realized something. She has no idea how what Indus' job is or how much he makes. Mera clicks her tongue and starts searching for easy at home jobs. So distracted by her searches, Mera does not realize how much time has passed until Indus places dinner next to the laptop, a warm bowl of macaroni and cheese and bacon. Years ago Mera would have yelled at Indus for giving her something so fatty, but she can't deny how much weight she lost after being on feeding tubes for months. Mera is anorexic, a complete skeleton with little fat or muscle to protect her bones that are at risk of shriveling away. Besides isn't, calcium supposed to be good for bones anyway?

“Hey Indus,” Mera shuts the laptop. “Eat dinner with me?” He smiles and walks to the other side the table as Mera starts to shovel her food. The table rattles slightly as he sits. “And can you tell me about your job.” A spoon is pointed at Indus in a meager showcase of authority. Over dinner, Indus explains that he works an oddly well-paying retail store and, for one reason or another, gets tips often. Indus insists Mera does not need to worry about funds and that is job offers good family health and dental insurance as well as discounted therapy sessions.

“But, wha- We're not married Indus.” Mera protests as her pale cheeks quickly turn red.

“And while we are eating dinner, I would like to change the subject at hand to dinner.” Indus musters all of his charm into a single grin only for it to be quashed with a harsh look from Mera.

“No. We are not having anyone over for dinner right now and what's with this 'family' thing?” Mera is beyond exasperated. She's entertained the thought of marrying him just for tax purposes before but having the idea presented to her feels... odd.

“You seem upset, Lady Mera.” Indus looks concerned.

“Maybe it's because I just found out that for some reason you think we're married despite not having signed any documents.”

“From what I understand, we are married under common law.” Nonchalantly, Indus sips his coffee and starts to count points on his fingers. “We lived together for seven years, have a joint checking account, file our taxes together, both of our names are on the apartment lease...”

“You've been filing out taxes together?” Out of frustration Mera violently rubs fingers through her hair.

“Yes.” Indus nods. “It is very hard but I have successfully figured it out! It is a lot easier to file together if I do not have to add your income into it, because you've been in jail for the past ten years.” Indus puts his finger to his tan lips and looks at the ceiling. “But what I cannot figure out is why you are so upset. This kind of marriage is very common in the Desert Country. Can you imagine keeping filed paper work in the Desert Country? The papers would burn or fly away and the cabinets would melt or burn depending on the material.” He chuckles.

“I-” Mera raises a finger in protest but is struck by a sudden migraine. “You know what, I am going to bed. We can talk about this more tomorrow after you schedule me for a doctor's appointment.” A half-eaten dinner is left on the table as Mera walks away.

Mera wakes up in wrinkled day clothes, noting to herself that she should really start changing into pajamas. On the bed stand is her usual morning water and medicine along with arm braces and a note. Mera wonders if Indus has learned to be quieter over the years or if she's sleeping that heavily. The note is an apology for upsetting her last night as well as a notification that he will be at work today until dinner. She picks a long sleeved white dress with an attached black belt to wear today. It should help hide her new braces.

After she's finished getting dressed, Mera looks in the mirror again and she still hates what she sees. Her hand hovers over the center mirror and Mera is tempted to kill her reflection yet again, but she doesn't follow through. Maybe, Mera thinks to herself, she should use that delivery money from the other day to buy some makeup. Or maybe she should check the bathroom to see if Indus has bought her any.

He has.

She really needs to thank him more often.

And get this whole marriage thing sorted out.

A few layers of concealer and the purple spots under Mera's eyes are less visible. She smiles a bit until she notices the purple nest that was formerly her hair. With some kitchen scissors and thirty minutes worth of her life, Mera fashions a pixie cut and washes her hair. Briefly Mera considers taking a shower but remembers Indus isn't there. A bath will have to do for today. She regrets changing her clothes so early and not putting some Epsom salt in the tub. Nonetheless, it feels great bathing herself alone for the first time in years.

After Mera dries herself and changes back into her clothes, she heads into the kitchen for breakfast or rather lunch after she looks at the clock. 11:47. Why she been sleeping in so late? Has her stamina gotten worse over the years or is it something else entirely? Rummaging through the fridge, Mera finds a school boy lunchbox with Indus' name written on the side in red marker. He must have forgotten his lunch. For an instant, Mera considers just taking the damn thing so she won't have to fix herself lunch but a thought pops in her head. She could go to where Indus works during lunch and perhaps talk to him over his lunch break about their lack of a marital status, after Mera does a quick address search.

A half an hour later and one overpriced taxi ride, Mera arrives at what is supposedly Indus' workplace. A toy store. A damn toy store full of little sniffling children and single moms. Mera doesn't see Indus on the main floor, so she makes her way to the cash register. Surely anybody who worked there would know where Indus is at all times, she hopes. Mera rings the desk bell several times and no one answers.

“Hey!” Mera shouts when she sees someone rustling in the back room. “I'm looking for someone?”

“One second.” It's a woman's voice, straining to speak while she carries a pile of boxes that are taller than her head. A few times the boxes threaten to break formation and fall on the floor, but they all stay in place until they reach their counter top destination. Mildly impressed, Mera hums at the register girl. “How can I help you?”

Mera finds herself yet again at a loss for words as she stares at stars in the cashier's hair.

“Marshmallow?”


End file.
